


Truth of the Body

by derryderrydown



Category: Swordspoint - Kushner
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-14
Updated: 2009-11-14
Packaged: 2017-10-02 17:16:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derryderrydown/pseuds/derryderrydown





	Truth of the Body

"Richard?"

Alec's voice was a lazy drawl and Richard deliberately finished sweeping the stone down his sword's length before answering. No matter the act, there was the familiar prickling at the back of his throat and the beginning of a looseness through his body. He knew that tone of Alec's. "Yes?"

"I'm bored. Let's go out."

Another sweep with the stone. "Where do you want to go?"

"You choose."

"Molly's."

"We always go to Molly's."

Richard allowed his lips to quirk and he glanced up at Alec. "You did say I could choose," he pointed out.

"Not if you choose somewhere boring." Alec stared at him, head haughtily high. "Choose somewhere interesting."

Richard leaned back against the wall. "Why don't we visit your grandmother?"

Alec snorted. "Not quite that interesting." He left the windowsill and seated himself on the floor, next to Richard. Richard carefully moved the lethally sharp blade so it was a safe distance on the other side. Alec rested his head against the wall and studied the ceiling. "I want to go somewhere where we'll be pointed at and there'll be gasps of horror and excitement and people will whisper to one another as they wonder whether that's *really* the infamous St Vier."

"And his noble lover," Richard said quietly.

"Perhaps I could wear a disguise," Alec mused. "Perhaps I could dress as a woman."

"No," Richard said firmly.

"You don't like women?"

"I like women. I just happen to like you as a man." He kept his eyes fixed firmly on his sword and resumed sweeping the stone down the blade.

"I like me as a man, too," Alec said and Richard felt the cold, slender fingers on his jaw, pulling him round to meet Alec's kiss. After a moment, Alec pulled back so they were still sharing breath but there was enough distance for him to speak. "If I weren't a man," Alec said, "I couldn't do this." He peeled Richard's fingers away from the stone and settled them over Alec's groin.

"You could," Richard whispered. "It would just feel different to me."

"I wonder if it would feel different to me."

"I don't know."

Alec's eyes shivered closed and he took a deep breath. "Do you think I'd make a beautiful woman?"

"No."

"No?"

"Too many bones," Richard said and moved his hand to rest on the sharpness of Alec's hip. Women have curves, he thought, and you have corners. He didn't say it and not only because Alec's lips were so close to his own.

"Bones," Alec said gently. His fingers were soft as they ghosted over Richard's cheek, softer than his breath on Richard's mouth.

Richard swallowed and Alec's touch trailed down his neck. "We don't have to go out," he said and he wasn't particularly surprised by Alec's laugh. Chuckle. It was warm and tender and it scared him so he lurched forward and took Alec's mouth.

Alec seemed to surrender with a gasp but Richard never trusted his appearances and he made sure the sword was scuffed far away before he tried to pull Alec closer. Alec resisted.

"If we're going to stay home and be bored," he said, forehead on Richard's shoulder and face hidden, "we might as well be comfortable. Take me to bed."

Richard slid to his feet and reached down for Alec. Alec put more of his weight on Richard than he needed to and, as always, Richard liked it. He also liked the way Alec twisted them round so Richard's back was pressed against the wall and kissed him, hard and brutal and pretending it could be anybody.

Richard touched Alec's ear and pretended not to notice Alec's shuddering response. He shoved hard and Alec stumbled back a step.   
"Bed," Richard said and he knew his voice was cold because Alec smiled and made to turn away, returning to his lair at the window. "Or we could go to your grandmother's," and Alec stopped, hair swaying like an autumn tree. Richard was glad Alec had grown it again. Equally glad he didn't tie it back in the student style.

Alec held out his hand, face towards the window so the fading light made shadows of his eyes. "Make me."

And it was easy to be vicious with Alec, to pull clothes off and yank him on to the bed and hold him down while he glared up in triumph. It was Alec's throat that held Richard's attention now. Slender and strong and fragile and Alec wasn't washing often enough at the moment so the taste was as strong and intoxicating as the stuff Molly wouldn't sell him any more.

The trouble with Alec was he sometimes left you with time to think. Richard frowned and tightened his grip and Alec snarled at him, struggled against him and Richard increased the pressure without thinking until Alec stopped fighting, hatred and lust crawling over his face.

In the past, it had been possible for sex to be comfortable, comforting. Alec was sparkling and shattered and dangerous; broken glass in his bed.

Broken glass in his head.

"Now," Alec hissed and his legs were wrapped round Richard's waist, pulling him in close. Richard didn't bother fighting.

It seemed as though everything in his life had been training him for this second, this precise moment with Alec under him, eyes wide and dark and starvation on his face. And it seemed like that every time.

It didn't stop it being true every time.


End file.
